How can I remove a partially installed version of XP?

Question

I was having issues in seeing a new hard drive and a friend of mine partially installed my version of XP so my PC could see the new hard drive. Now every time I boot up I have to choose between two versions of XP, the partial one and the fully installed one. Any help or instructions would be helpful.

Answer 1

You're lucky. My sister's "friend" accidentally completely wiped out her hard drive!

Personally, I didn't mess around. When I needed help in getting our computers networked and setup, I called for professional help. Yes, it cost a few dollars - but when the tech left, I was good to go.

If it were me, I would backup any files I created to external storage, then uninstall Windows and Format. Then, Restart and reinstall WindowsXP. I do hope you have the CD and product key. You will need them.

Here is some information on a clean reinstall:

How to Perform a clean WindowsXP Repair Install
http://www.michaelstevenstech.com/XPrepairinstall.htm

How to Perform an in-place upgrade (reinstallation) of WindowsXP
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315341

Answer 2

You can edit the boot.ini file under your C drive. and remove the line for the extra Windows. Set your Windows OS to default selection and decrease the selection time.
Right click on "My Computer". Choose Properties.

Look on the "Advanced" tab. You should see a "System and Recovery" section at the bottom, with a "Settings" button. Press that button.

Under the "System Startup" block on the next dialog, hit the "Edit" button to edit your boot.ini file.

Answer 3

It would be hard to do without buying some expensive software. The easiest way to do it, would be to completly wipe the hard drive. You can do that by installing XP over again, and formatting the hard drive. ***BACKUP FIRST***